Trapped in the Zone
by BecauseCrazyWasTaken
Summary: Something's wrong with Danny, suddenly he can't control his transformations and it's making him sick. At the same time all the Ghosts in the Ghost Zone are getting trapped inside by a mysterious force; and what does a strange woman who can supposedly heal people have to do with it?


**This is just an experiment really, if people want me to continue, I will! I hope you enjoy this first chapter, really. :) xXx Review.**

**I don't own Danny Phantom**

_**The Halfa Illness**_

_Chapter 1_

From the moment Danny woke in the morning; he knew something wasn't right. The sun that streamed through his window – though would not have usually been welcomed on a weekday – was now burning at Danny's closed lids. He squirmed slightly under his sheets, feeling uncomfortable with every position he put himself in. He gave up and opened his eyes to the sunlight only to turn his face away from it. He forced his head into his pillow and groaned. The sun was no better with open eyes. It gave him a headache. He frowned into his pillow. This definitely wasn't normal. Maybe he was sick? He rolled back onto his side; no, maybe not. Maybe he was just tired. He _had_ been up almost all night trying to tame the ghosts that escaped the ghost zone after all.

"Danny!"

Danny cringed as he heard Jazz's way too perky voice echo up the stairs. She had always been a morning person which made Danny all the more bitter. Feeling cruddy in the morning was bad enough; it didn't help to have an optimist making him feel worse.

"Come on Danny, get up. Don't want to be late," Jazz turned from Danny's door and rolled her eyes, "again," she added silently as she ran back down stairs.

Danny groaned and lay in his bed a few more moments before pulling himself out of bed. It was hard and he felt his muscles protest, but he managed. He'd have to. He couldn't miss more days from school just because he felt less than normal. He'd already missed too much time from the ghost attacks which had seemed to be becoming more frequent as of late.

Still, Danny groggily dressed himself and ran a comb through his messy raven locks before he darted down the stairs to meet the bright face of his older sister. Jazz was pouring cereal in her usual cheery manner. On her way to the kitchen table she quickly turned on the TV.

Danny flinched slightly from the sound of the TV. It sounded unnaturally loud that morning. He rubbed at the growing headache in his skull and sat down at the table, pouring his own cereal.

Jazz always watched the news in the mornings, ever since she had found out about Danny's secret she had become increasingly interested in the ghost world and the news never missed out a single ghost attack. She always took some pride in knowing that her brother was out there, fighting the ghostly menaces despite the constant hate he received from half of the town, including their very own parents. However, the news report this morning was something slightly different from what was usually being read.

The blonde news reader that usually sat on her own was now placed next to someone else, a dark haired young woman with emerald eyes. She smiled and her lips creased ever so slightly, but she never broke eye contact with the news reader who was in an eager conversation with her, "I can't believe this, so your treatments are now medically approved?"

The brunette laughed enthusiastically and nodded, "Oh yes, it started off as just a home business!" She clasped her hands tightly and grinned, "but news travelled so fast and suddenly," she snapped her fingers, "I'm all over the news!"

Jazz frowned at the TV and turned up the volume, much to Danny's displeasure.

"Seriously, Jazz?" Danny asked, mixing the cereal tiredly with his spoon, "what do you care?"

Jazz didn't pay attention; she simply shushed her brother as she listened closer to the conversation on screen.

"Is it true that your treatments are reserved now?" The news reader carried on, asking questions that were very obviously held out for her to use.

"Yes." The woman nodded, "Ever since people found out about the treatments, I reserve them for those who need them most. Never the common cold or a flu virus.

The news reader smiled, captivated by the young woman sitting opposite her, "Well it's truly amazing to speak with you this morning Vera Alae, it's wonderful to see someone doing real work for the better good." The news reader was definitely reading from a prompt now, Jazz could see it in her eyes. But it didn't stop her from wondering what on Earth was going on. Where were the Ghost reports?

Jazz blinked as the news cut to commercials. She looked to Danny, "wow." She said, nodding towards the TV screen.

Danny either didn't notice or didn't care to acknowledge her, he simply leant his chin against his upturned palm as he continued to stir his cereal.

"Didn't you hear that?" Jazz asked.

Danny shrugged, "heard what?"

"That report!" Jazz frowned at her younger brother. He was paying less attention than usual, he wasn't eating his cereal and he just looked… different. Jazz was surprised she hadn't noticed it before, but he was definitely acting out of character somehow.

"You okay?" Jazz asked nervously.

Danny heard that question and eyed his sister suspiciously, "fine, just tired. Long night."

Jazz pursed her lips and nodded simply before she drew away from the table to put her bowl in the sink, "well, we better get to school." She said, looking towards Danny, "I can give you a ride if you want?"

Danny shrugged, "Nah, I'm walking with Sam and Tucker."

"You sure?" Jazz blurted.

Danny raised a brow, "Yes Jazz…" he shook his head to her which he regretted almost instantly. It sent a strange wave of dizziness over him and for a second he couldn't focus properly. He felt light headed. He felt strange.

"Danny…?"

"I'm fine," Danny muttered as he shot up from his place. He was out of the front door before Jazz could call his name.

Danny didn't know what was wrong with him. Although the dizziness had subsided, he still felt incredibly tired. He had to blame it on being up so late. There really had been a lot of Ghosts about last night. More than usual. Anyway, what else could it be?

"It's a revolutionary idea!"

Danny turned around to see his two best friends, Sam and Tucker nearing Fenton Works. It seemed they were in the middle of a heated debate that Sam was steadily winning.

Tucker shook his head and straightened his red cap on his head, "No way, Sam. It's no better than a hospital." Just saying the word made Tucker shiver. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was a hospital or the Doctor's surgery or even the Nurse's office at the school. Medicine, needles… it was all wrong in his opinion.

"Hey guys," Danny greeted, shaking off his grogginess by attempting at conversation, "What're you talking about?"

Sam rolled her eyes and folded her arms, "didn't you see the news this morning?"

Danny shrugged.

Sam sighed, "This woman, _Vera Alae._" Sam said the name as if she was talking about a celebrity. She grinned, "she's only created a new form of psychological treatment to battle all kinds of illness, her treatments work and everything." Sam grinned further, "_and,_" she added, raising a finger, "they are 100% organic treatments,"

"Yeah right, she didn't say anything about her treatments!" Tucker argued, looking at Danny, "No one knows how she does it, but apparently she's been approved to _legally _do this stuff." Tucker shivered again, "I mean legally? Dude, you know something weird's going on when _that _happens."

Danny didn't really get why his friends were so riled up about a medical therapist, but for lack of better conversation, he joined in anyway, "so she heals people?" he asked incredulously, looking to Sam sceptically, "Sorry Sam, I've got to agree with Tuck, it sounds pretty weird."

"Thank you!" Tucker said in exasperation as he took out his PDA, "I'm going to find something on her that isn't right. She's probably a ghost!"

Sam cocked a brow with a sarcastic smile, "Oh yes, the _scary _nurse ghost who goes about healing people. Fear her!" Sam lifted her arms up at Tucker and pulled a scary face. Tucker narrowed his eyes, "not funny, Sam!"

Danny sighed, "why do you guys care so much about it anyway?"

"Uh, _Hello? _Did you not hear what she does?" Sam asked, looking at Danny suspiciously, "Have you even been paying attention?"

Danny gave a weak smile and looked away. His silence was enough for Sam. She could see right through it. Maybe she would have noticed Danny's silence quicker if she hadn't have been side-tracked; "everything okay, Danny?" Sam asked.

Danny looked to Sam, "Yeah," he said quickly, "I guess I'm just tired."

"Ghosts giving you trouble?" Tucker guessed.

Danny nodded, _"_Actually, yeah. It just seems like more and more ghosts are coming out of the ghost zone lately, ones I don't even recognize." Danny rubbed his forehead at the slowly re-emerging headache, but anxious not to worry his friends he let out a heavy sigh and carried on walking, "nothing a nap in English won't cure."

His friends nodded along with him, but they each couldn't help but feel slightly worried for Danny. It seemed completely irrational, but for some reason or another that neither Sam nor Tucker could put their finger on, Danny looked different.


End file.
